Interviews

Baltimore Is Not Throwin’ Away It’s Shot: An Annual Interview with Ron Legler on the 2026/2027 Hippodrome Broadway Season

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It’s a tale as old as time…waiting and waiting and waiting for those hills to be alive with the sounds of— the new season drop at Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre! (Did you see what we did there? #IYKYK) And the new season— the 2026/2027 Broadway Across America Broadway Hippodrome Series— has officially dropped! EIGHT SHOWS. THREE NATIONAL TOUR LAUNCHES. TWO SEASONAL ADD-ONS. And a whole bunch of Broadway magic ready to razzle, dazzle, entertain, and wow audiences in Charm City,

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Bah. Nevermore. An interview with Mark Kamie The Director of A Christmas Carol for Edgar Allan Poe

Interviews

All that we see or seem, is but a dream within— BAH. HUMBUG! Wait a minute… that’s not right.

Let me try again.

The scariest monsters are the ones that would rather die? Then they’d better do so and decrease the surplus population! No… that’s— hold on a minute.

One more try—

I would define, in brief, the poetry of words as— singing in street corner choir!

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Greg Burgess as Ebenezer Scrooge in the 2022 production of A Christmas Carol at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company

Bah! Humbug! Christmas Chatter with Greg Burgess on 11 years of playing Ebenezer Scrooge with Chesapeake Shakespeare Company

Interviews

Bah! Humbug! The Christmas season is upon us. Again. Already. (Baltimore’s local 101.9 even had flipped the switch to their Christmas music on Thursday 11/20/25 as I was driving home to ring up Greg Burgess and interview him!) The holidays are upon us whether you’re ready or not. And in a world of so much darkness and chaos, aren’t the holidays meant to be what spreads a little love, a little light, a little joy?

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Artfully Full-Circle: An Interview with Andi Rudai on playing Oliver in Oliver! and now Directing It

Interviews

Cor! Look at this! It’s a real full circle moment! Maybe at the end of Oliver! the little orphan boy— in this case, girl— grows up to be— a director! And that’s exactly what happened as Third Wall Productions celebrates ten years of producing theatre— their very own Oliver Twist, from their inaugural production of Oliver! (February of 2016) has come back to the project in a new capacity. Andi Rudai,

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Not Your Mama’s Oleanna: An Interview with M. Eden Walker & Teagle Walker on their company WFB Productions and their upcoming production of Oleanna

Interviews

Not your father’s root beer. Not your granny’s bingo. Not your mama’s— Oleanna!? The David Mamet play, which I can recall studying a bit during my BFA program at UMBC (though I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen or reviewed live on stage) is coming to the Motor House for a limited three-performance engagement. With a brand new theatre company, getting its feet wet and spreading its theatrical wings. WFB Productions— a family-run small professional company founded by M.

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Interview: Parker Bailey Steven on Ceilidh

Interviews

Party. Celebration.

One cannot think of two more appropriate words to use than that when it comes to learning that a local Baltimore actress is performing in Ceilidh. The brand new, North-American-debut performance of this whimsical, engaging theatrical party is opening on September 6th 2025 in the M&T Bank Exchange and it has wonders for audiences of all ages— not the least of which is Parker Bailey Steven, a Baltimore-‘native’,

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Wonkavision: A Golden Ticket Interview with Paul Norfolk as Willy Wonka

Interviews

Come with me and you’ll be in a world of Pure Imagination! It’s almost like Stand Up For…Theatre had to imagine themselves into existence just for this show to happen! (#IYKYK) But they did it! And their candy was dandy! Meet The Candy Man, the final in the Wonkavision Golden Ticket Interview series! Oh what fun!

Thank you for giving us a moment of your time, why don’t you tell us who you are?

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Wonkavision: A Golden Ticket Interview with Ed Higgins & Aidyn Mingo on being The Buckets

Interviews

There’s no earthly way of knowing, which direction we are going— Wonkavision is steering us down into the home stretch! Are you ready to have a chat with The Buckets?

Thank you both— Ed, where’s the actor playing Grandpa J— seriously!?

Ed Higgins: (*performs very Wonka-like bow*) You’re looking at him!

Oh my chocolates and bonbons. Ooh boy. Well, here we go! You two are?

Aidyn Mingo: I’m Aidyn.

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Wonkavision: A Golden Ticket Interview with Elliot & Jessica Long on being The Teevees

Interviews

Whenever children would throw a fit— the TV set would babysit! Or the tablet. Or the screen. You get the picture…pun intended! Wonkavision is zooming through these family and we’re zooming in on the Teevees next!

Thank you for giving us some of your time, I just spoke with the other family-family, as the Blakes are mother daughter, playing father daughter, and you’re actual mother-son playing mother-son, so how cool is that? Let’s get everyone started here with introductions!

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Wonkavision: A Golden Ticket Interview with Audrey & Heather Blake on being The Salts

Interviews

When you’ve got more money than Croesus what do you do? Oompa-Loompa-dompady— fly in on a private jet and try to buy the chocolate factory, that’s what. Wonkavision continues with this in-depth look into the Salt Family!

Thank you for giving us some of your rehearsal time; we’ll keep it simple to start, how about names and who you’re playing?

Heather Blake: My actual name is Heather Lynn Blake. And I’m playing Olig Salt from—

You’re about to say something Russian and (for me) completely unspellable,

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Wonkavision: A Golden Ticket Interview with Francesca DeBella & Gage Wright on being the Beauregardes

Interviews

You pop that gum one more time— wait…that’s a different musical. Sorry- too much sugar for a second there. Wonkavision is right on time with another in-depth look at a parent-kid duo— this time it’s The Beauregarde Family!

Thank you for giving us a few of your rehearsal minutes, let’s get the ball rolling with who you are and who you’re playing, shall we?

Gage Wright: My name is Gage Wright and I play Eugene Beauregarde.

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Wonkavision: A Golden Ticket Interview with Lucy Blumberg & Aaron Pinter on being The Gloops

Interviews

Augustus-flavored-chocolate-covered-Gloop. Or taffy-coated. Or sugar-drenched. Take your pick from which version you know best. Now you’re going to get an in-depth version with this one-on-one interview with Augustus and Mrs. Gloop— right here in the Wonkavision interview series on TheatreBloom!

Well hello, Gloops! Thank you for joining us! If you can tell us your name and which one of you is playing which, that would be a great start!

Lucy Blumberg: I’m Lucy and I’m playing Mrs.

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Wonkavision: A Golden-Ticket Interview with Chris Pence on Being An Oompa Loompa

Interviews

“We have so much time and so little to do!” said no theatre company ever. Strike that. Reverse it! And the time is here! The irony that Roald Dahl’s Charlie & The Chocolate Factory showcases what happens when the baddies get what’s comin’ to ‘em is lost on NOBODY here. (#IYKYK) And when the universe hands you a Golden Ticket (you can get yours at the door this weekend!) you take it and run straight to the DOODLEHatch for Stand Up For…Theatre’s Charlie &

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Luck Be A Lady: Interview Sky Masterson & Sarah Brown with Tidewater Players’ Guys & Dolls

Interviews

Chemistry? Yeah, chemistry. And they’ll know, when their love comes along! Finalizing the four-part dice-rolling interview series with key players from Tidewater Players’ Guys & Dolls, we have our Miss Sarah, or rather, Seargent Sarah Brown of the Mission. And Sky Masterson, that gamblin’ guy who can’t be beat at his own game!

Here we go! This should be a great way to cap the series!

Casey Brogan: I’m Casey and I play Sky.

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Some puffs from PUFFS with Rogue Swan

Hiiii!!! A puffy interview with the puffiest Puffs who ever did puff all about Puffs appearing at Rogue Swan Theatre Company

Interviews

Hiiii!!!

I’m Mandy Gunther and I’m— well— I’m a Puff! (Yes, I’ve taken the test over and over and over…go figure.) But more importantly, I’m here with some folks of the Rogue Swan variety— several of whom are also Puffs! Hiii!!! Which is convenient! Since Rogue Swan Theatre Company is doing Puffs (Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School for Magic and Magic) that delightful send-up of a certain source material (written by she-who-must-not-be-named) as penned into stage-worthy existence by Matt Cox.

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Luck Be A Lady: Interviewing The Hot Box Dancers & Miss Adelaide with Tidewater Players’ Guys & Dolls

Interviews

They’ll love you— a bushel and a peck! A bushel and a peck and a huge around the neck! A hug around the neck and a barrel and a heap! A barrel and a heap and they’re talking in their sleep— about you! You guessed it! It’s time to sit down with Miss Adelaide and her Hot Box Dancers! Carrying on for part three of the Luck Be a Lady interview series featuring important players in Guys &

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Luck Be A Lady: Interviewing Benny Southstreet, Rusty Charlie, and Nicely-Nicely Johnson with Tidewater Players’ Guys & Dolls

Interviews

We got the horse right here! It’s name is— what? Not Paul Revere? Not Valentine? Not Epitaph? Then what the good googly-moogly are their names? Benny Southstreet, Rusty Charlie, and Nicely-Nicely Johnson? What the heck kinda horse names are those? Oh they’re not horses? Oooh. Well that explains a lot. Time to shoot crap— or crap shoot? Take your pick— with the Fugue Fellas— Rusty Charlie, Nicely-Nicely Johnson, and Benny Southstreet on their time spent with Guys &

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Luck Be A Lady: Interviewing Big Jule & Harry The Horse with Tidewater Players’ Guys & Dolls

Interviews

When you see a guy reach for stars in the sky— you can bet that he’s doin’ it for some doll! Call it hell, call it heaven, it’s a probable twelve-to-seven that this interview series is featurin’ some Guys & Dolls! We’ve got the horse right here…several of them in fact! And we’ll bet you a thousand big ones that you ain’t heard some of the fun things coming out of these Tidewater Players’ actors’ mouths before!

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Devon Hadsell as Minnie in Some Like It Hot 📷 Matthew Murphy

Tonight The Heat Comes From Below: Let’s Be Bad with Devon Hadsell, playing Minnie in Some Like It Hot

Interviews

Are you ready to be bad, Baltimore? Because the National touring production of Some Like It Hot is coming in hot and ready to shake up Charm City this May! In a quick phone interview with Devon Hadsell, playing Minnie on the tour, we get a full scope of why this show is so darn hot and fun!

Hello, Devon! Thank you so much for taking my call; we’re so excited to chat with you!

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(L to R) Graduating Seniors of Children's Playhouse of Maryland's Rent- Callie Fey, Bella Comotto, Xander Bell, Callum Howard, and Amelia Grace Watts

525,600 Minutes: How The Graduating Seniors of Children’s Playhouse of Maryland Measure Their Year with Rent

Interviews

In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee. In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife…in graduations. 525,600 minutes, how do you measure— a year in your life? Five of Children’s Playhouse of Maryland’s graduating seniors are measuring out their final year with the program by taking part in Rent (school edition) as their final senior show with the company. We’ve sat down with these five rising talents as they’re about to bid CPM a fond farewell to hear what they’ve had to say about the experience.

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The cast of Steel Magnolias at Just Off Broadway

Laughter Through Tears: The Women of Just-Off Broadway’s Steel Magnolias

Interviews

Wouldn’t you rather have 30 minutes of wonderful rather than a lifetime of nothing special? Well, this interview took about 50 minutes (and for a Al Herlinger cast that’s short!) but it was certainly wonderful and special. Sitting down with the six talented women of Just Off Broadway’s upcoming production of Robert Harling’s Steel Magnolias, we’ve done a deep-dive into what it’s like for these six women— mostly strangers to one another,

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Danielle Wade (left) as Maizy and Erick Pinnick (right) as Grandpa in the first National Tour of Shucked 📷 Matthew Murphy

Kernels of Comedy: An Earful from Shucked’s Erick Pinnick

Interviews

Homegrown yuks getting cornier by the second! Must mean Shucked is coming to town! Checking in with Howard County native, Erick Pinnick, we do get a little earful about the poppin’ good time that is playing in the first National Tour of Shucked.

Thank you for giving us some of your time, Erick, it’s really exciting to get to talk to you!

Erick Pinnick: No problem.

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Jake Odmark (left) as Beau and Danielle Wade (right) as Maizy in Shucked 📷Matthew Murphy

Kernels of Comedy: An Earful from Shucked’s Jake Odmark

Interviews

Corn is so fantastic because it has a-maize-ing friends! There. I told my corn joke. And it popped! And if you need more of that corny humor, you’re in luck! Shucked is coming to Baltimore, landing at Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre, and it’s bringing some local yokels with it! No joke and this isn’t an April Fools’ prank! We’ve had a phone-chat-interview with Jake Odmark, starring as Beau in Shucked, and we can’t wait to share it with you!

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Phantom and Elephants and Gatsby, Oh My! Talking with Ron Legler on The Hippodrome’s 2025/2026 Season Featuring Three National Tour Launches

Interviews

Just when you thought Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre couldn’t get any more exciting for the 2025/2026 season— after announcing that Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera will be launching its National Tour right from the heart of Charm City in November of 2025— the whole rest of the season announcement has dropped and it’s a glitter bomb of spectacular proportions! Three National Tour launches— not one, not two, but THREE. Seven extraordinary shows;

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30 Minutes of Wonderful: An Interview with Jessica & Mackenzie Brockmeyer on playing M’Lynn & Shelby Eatenton in Steel Magnolias at Tidewater Players

Interviews

Half of Chinquapin Parish would give their eye teeth to play opposite their real-life daughter in the iconic mother-daughter duo roles (originally made famous by Sally Field and Julia Roberts in the 1989 original film) of M’Lynn and Shelby Eatenton in Steel Magnolias. Tidewater Players is giving that exact opportunity to Jessica Brockmeyer and daughter Mackenzie Brockmeyer, who are playing opposite one another as M’Lynn and Shelby in the company’s upcoming production of Steel Magnolias,

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Hazel Vogel (center) as Annie and the company of Annie 📷 Matthew Murphy

The Sun Will Come Out: Interviewing Baltimore’s Own Hazel Vogel as Annie

Interviews

The sun’ll come out! TOMORROW! Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow— there’ll be— well, in Maryland, it could be sun, could be snow, could be 92° with a hailstorm because this is the state where the weather changes on a dime and without much sense or warning. But Towson native Hazel Vogel, currently starring in the titular role of Annie knows all about Maryland weather. And she’s hoping to bring the sunshine with her when the National Tour of Annie returns to her home state for the first full week in January of 2025.

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Wherever You Find Love It Feels Like Christmas: Interviewing Tidewater Players Merrymaking Christmas Carolers- Bobby Mahoney

Interviews

When a cold wind blows— it chills you! Chills you to the bone! But there’s nothing in nature that freezes your heart like years of being alone! It paints you with indifference like a lady paints with rouge. And the worst of the worst! The most hated and cursed— is the one that we call SCROOGE! Unkind as any— with the wrath of many— this is EBENEZER SCROOGE! (And yes, I did that from memory.

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Wherever You Find Love It Feels Like Christmas: Interviewing Tidewater Players Merrymaking Christmas Carolers- Jude Mahoney, Ashley Merrill, and Tommy Rinaldi

Interviews

You shall be visited by three ghosts, Ebenezer! When the clock strikes one— The Ghost of Christmas Past (Jude Mahoney.) When the clock strikes two— The Ghost of Christmas Present (B. Thomas Rinaldi.) When they clock strikes three— The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Be! (Ashley Merrill.) And we may be crazy trying to visit with all three of these ghosts all at once, but what’s Christmas without a little crazy?

We’ve got you gathered here and the clock hasn’t even struck one,

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He’s Here: The Phantom of The Opera- A Quick Chat with Ron Legler about Phantom of The Opera’s 2025 National Tour Launching from Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre

Interviews

Fondest Greetings, Good Monsieurs…did you think that I had left you for good?

We’ve been waiting. Since Sunday April 16th 2023…when Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera played its final performance at The Majestic Theatre on Broadway. After 35 years and 13,981 performances (marking it as the longest running musical in Broadway’ illustrious history), there was a darkness that overtook The Great White Way, though not without the promise of a return…and that return has finally arrived.

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Wherever You Find Love It Feels Like Christmas: Interviewing Tidewater Players Merrymaking Christmas Carolers- Steve Flickinger

Interviews

Link by link by horrifying link…though I think some prefer the duet from the Muppets. Either way, we’ve got the one— the only— Steve Flickinger as the one and only Jacob Marley for this year’s production of A Christmas Carol, and we’re here to hear him spill his Christmas-y guts all about the feel-good holiday.

We’re thrilled to sit with you Steve. Thanks for joining us! Now this is not your first theatrical soiree.

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